illustration: DALL-EThat`s not fringe talk. It`s mainstream. Poland ranks 11th globally for greenwashing mentions in major online news sources.
Critics allege that as many as 42% of ESG-related claims are misleading. They accuse firms of selective transparency - flaunting eco-friendly highlights while burying environmental shortcomings. It`s a trust issue. When nearly 90% of surveyed business representatives admit they lack proper ESG knowledge, opponents weaponize this to discredit entire reporting efforts.
As Sebastian Bykowski, IMM’s Vice President warns, disinformation undermines all companies - even those genuinely trying to improve. The chaos is fueled by social media algorithms and generative AI, which amplify controversy and allow fake content to spread at warp speed.
From compliance to confusion - ESG’s growing pains
Despite ESG being enshrined in EU’s Omnibus Directive - binding on firms with over 1,000 employees and €50M+ in revenue or €25M in assets - 45% of companies still don’t know if it applies to them. Meanwhile, media attention is exploding: from 14,600 ESG-related mentions in Q1 2024 to 23,100 in Q1 2025. That’s a 58% leap.
There were 70 ESG-themed events in the last quarter alone, 90% of them free. Yet this informational boom has not translated into widespread understanding. Instead, it created a perfect storm for disinformation to thrive.
The ESG and the ideological skirmish
ESG has become a political football. Both the far left and right now weaponize it for ideological gain. Add to that a media environment dominated by clickbait and vague headlines, and what you get is confusion instead of clarity - skepticism instead of progress.
According to the 19th edition of the "Global Risks Perception Survey", fake news is now considered among the leading threats to global stability. For ESG-driven firms, the consequences are real: lost trust, legal exposure, reputational crises, talent drain, falling brand value - and potentially, existential danger.
IMM’s report "Disinformation about ESG in the media. Facts and myths" was unveiled at the Grand ESG conference by Fundacja Grand Press on May 9, 2025. Download the full report here.
How the media talk (or stay silent) about climate
The report "Climate Change and News Audiences 2024", published earlier this year by Reuters Institute, shows that audience engagement with climate topics has remained almost unchanged for several years.
Climate misinformation remains a significant issue. Interestingly, misinformation sources vary widely, with politicians and celebrities among the most frequently indicated.
| Source of Misinformation | Percentage of Respondents |
|---|---|
| Politicians and political parties | 12% |
| Governments | 11% |
| Celebrities | 10% |
| Climate activists | 10% |
| Scientists | 8% |
| International institutions | 8% |
| Energy companies | 8% |
| Friends and family | 7% |
| Charitable organizations | 6% |
| Religious leaders | 6% |
The problem is not only the emergence of false content but also its dissemination by public figures and influential groups. The high number of mentions of politicians and celebrities as misinformation sources shows that major media players are not always responsible for misleading the public.
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New articles in section Media industry
Vulnerable to disinformation. Study of fake news in social media
KFi, azk/ bst/ amac/
As many as 58 percent of Generation Z individuals are unable to recognize fake news in social media. Among those over 65, this figure stands at 29 percent - according to a study published in Poland by NASK and the Praktycy.eu association.
Radio in Poland 2025. Analysis of listenership and listener behavior
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Radio attracts 17.3 million listeners in Poland every day, who spend over four hours with their receivers. Interestingly, as much as 86 percent of station time is listened to via traditional FM waves. Despite digitalization, the internet accounts for only 12.5 percent of the listenership share.
Tags, hashtags and links in video descriptions. Youtube SEO after Gemini AI update [ANALYSIS]
BARD
Once, positioning a video on Youtube was simple. It was enough to stuff the description with keywords and wait for results. Those days are not coming back. In 2026, the algorithm is no longer a simple search engine that connects dots. It is the powerful Gemini AI artificial intelligence that understands your video better than you do.
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Only 12% of people accept news created solely by AI, while 62% prefer those written by humans. At the same time, only 19% notice labels indicating the use of artificial intelligence, while younger audiences ask AI to explain the content to them. These are the findings of the Reuters Institute report on artificial intelligence in media.
How to silence fake news? Young Latinos support internet censorship
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In Brazil, a court shut down platform X, cutting off 40 million users. In Colombia, 70% of citizens want information control, and in Chile, 75% of young people support censoring fake news. Is information security replacing freedom of speech as a new trend? [STUDY]
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Skills. The Future of the Job Market is Here
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The world faces the challenge of digital transformation, and technological skills have become a gateway to career success. How do Europeans evaluate their abilities, and which industries are leading the way? A recent report by Pracuj.pl reveals which skills open doors to better careers and why AI is the future of work.
Violence in Media and Child Rearing
Małgorzata Więczkowska
The influence of mass media on individuals is now an undisputed fact. There is no place today where this impact on religious, moral, political, social, or educational attitudes cannot be felt.




























